Worth The Wait
by Heavenly Pearl
Summary: Now that she's finally an adult, Princess Lady Serenity can't wait to take her relationship with Helios to the next level.


Worth The Wait

In her room, Princess Lady Serenity was packing for a weekend trip to Elysion. It would be her first solo overnight stay in the land of dreams, without her guardian senshi or even Diana to chaperone her, and she wanted everything to be perfect for the special event. Holding up two choices of lingerie, she debated which one she should wear her first night with Helios: a sweet pink chemise trimmed with lace or a much more risqué black teddy with red accents.

"The chemise, definitely," she finally decided, folding it and placing it inside her open suitcase. "I'll bring the teddy some other time."

There was a knock on the door. Serenity continued packing as she called out, "Who is it?"

"It's me, Serenity-sama," Hotaru said. "Diana is with me, too. May we come in?"

"Um, one second!"

She quickly shut her suitcase and hid the discarded teddy behind one of the pillows on the bed. After making certain that there was nothing else incriminating in sight, Serenity walked over to the door and let Hotaru and Diana inside. Diana, in her usual cat form, immediately jumped up on the bed.

"We came to see if you wanted any help packing for your trip," Hotaru said, glancing over at the suitcase, "but it looks like you're all set and ready to go.

"Almost." Serenity grabbed a light cardigan from a dresser drawer and stuffed it in the suitcase as well. "I think I'm just about done."

"Wait, it looks like you forgot something." Diana pounced over to the head of the bed and began tugging on the black piece of fabric sticking out behind a pillow with her mouth. When she realized what it was, however, she immediately dropped it. "Oh. Oh!"

"Hey, where did that thing come from?" Thinking fast, Serenity grabbed the teddy and hid it behind her back as she made her way over to the dresser. "Must have gotten mixed in with my laundry by mistake."

"If it's not yours, then why are you putting it back in your dresser?" Hotaru asked, giggling.

"Um…well…"

"Seriously, though, what are you so embarrassed about? It's not like we don't all know the _real _purpose of your trip to Elysion."

"I have no idea what you are talking about, Hotaru-chan," Serenity said with as much dignity as she could muster as she turned around and slipped the teddy back into her underwear drawer. "I'm just taking a holiday to visit my _very _long-distance boyfriend. It's all perfectly innocent."

Hotaru arched an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Okay, so maybe not _quite _so innocent," she admitted, unable to hide a smirk as she thought of her plans for that night.

"So you and Helios-sama…."

"I hope so."

"Um, I don't think this is a proper conversation for somebody my age to hear," Diana said, hopping down from the bed. "I'm going for a walk."

Once the pre-teen cat left the room, Hotaru plopped belly-down on the bed while Serenity resumed her packing, no longer bothering to hide. "Are you sure you're ready?" Hotaru asked. "That's a pretty major step."

"I love Helios. I know it's a big decision, but it just feels…right, you know?"

Hotaru smiled. "Then I'm happy for you."

"Thanks," Serenity said. "So, do you have any tips?"

"Serenity-sama!"

"What? It's not like you haven't done it before."

"I know, but it feels strange to be giving you sex advice. With all the time-traveling… Sometimes, I just can't help thinking of you as that sweet little girl who befriended me all those years ago.

Serenity rolled her eyes. "That's what everybody says. Even my parents will slip and call me Small Lady or Chibi-Usa sometimes." She sighed, taking a seat on the edge of the mattress. "But I'm an adult now, with a real adult body and real adult hormones. That's part of the reason I'm so happy about this trip. By allowing me to go on an overnight trip to Elysion by myself, it feels like Mama and Papa are finally treating me like the adult I am, and not just some little kid who needs protecting."

Hotaru frowned. "Serenity-sama, are you positive you're doing this for the right reasons? You aren't rushing into things just so that you'll feel more 'adult'?"

"Are you trying to talk me out of it?"

"No, of course not. It's your decision, and only you can know for sure when you're ready, but…" She bit down on her bottom lip.

Serenity kneeled down on the floor so that she could look her best friend directly in the eye. "Hotaru-chan, I'm ready," she declared. "I've never been more certain about anything in my entire life, so please, don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

Reassured, Hotaru visible relaxed. "I know," she said, sitting back up. "Okay, what do you want to know? It's not like I have a ton of experience, but I'll try to answer any questions you might have."

The two of them spent the next twenty minutes discussing what she should expect that night. By the time Serenity was scheduled to leave for Elysion, she felt thoroughly educated in the subject of sex and even picked up a few tips she couldn't wait to put into practice.

Hugging her goodbye, Hotaru whispered into her ear, "Have fun, Serenity-sama, and good luck."

Serenity grinned. "Thanks, Hotaru-chan."

* * *

><p>The first person Serenity saw with the doors of the teleportation chamber opened was Helios. Smiling, she dropped her suitcase to the ground and threw herself into his waiting arms.<p>

"Oh, Helios, I've missed you so much!" she said, inhaling the intoxicating scent of the cologne she had given for Christmas the previous year.

Helios tightened his embrace around her and kissed the top of her head. "I've missed you, too, my maiden."

"Welcome to Elysion, Your Highness," two other voices said in unison.

In her excitement of seeing Helios for the first time in months, Serenity had failed to notice that they were not alone. She reluctantly pulled away from Helios and turned to face the two bowing Maenads who served him at the shrine.

"Eos-chan! Aurora-chan!" She hugged each of them in turn. "It's so good to see you again."

"You, too, Your Highness," Aurora said, picking up Serenity's forgotten suitcase. "Shall we show you to your room?"

"Of course."

Serenity and Helios, walking hand-in-hand, followed the two shrine maidens to the bedroom where she would be staying. She stopped short and released Helios' hand when they opened the double doors, revealing the suite she usually stayed in when she visited Elysion.

"Is there something wrong with the room?" Eos asked, noticing Serenity's less-than-enthusiastic reaction. "Did we forget something?"

"N-No, it's fine, Eos-chan," Serenity said, stepping inside. "Everything looks great."

"In that case," Aurora said after setting the suitcase down beside the door, "if that is all, we will take our leave. Please let us know if there is anything else you need."

"I will. Thank you."

Helios gave a nod, dismissing them. Once the Maenads were gone, he closed the doors behind them and turned back around to face Serenity, who had taken a seat on the edge of the mattress.

"You're disappointed," he noted, frowning.

"It's just that I thought I would be staying in your bedroom, not the guestroom," she confessed, letting out a sigh as she fiddled with the chain of her necklace. "Be honest with me, Helios. You still think of me as a child, too, don't you?"

Helios kneeled down in front of her, covering her hands with his own. "Of course not, my maiden. You are a beautiful young woman, the lady you've always dreamed of becoming."

She glanced back up. "Then why?"

"I-I just didn't know how to tell them," he admitted, averting his gaze from hers. A faint blush crossed the bridge of his nose. "I mean, it's not like I've ever done anything like this before. We never really discussed th-"

Serenity, thinking he looked cute, all pink and flustered, interrupted him mid-sentence, kissing him on the lips.

"Serenity?"

She giggled. "Sorry, you were so adorable just now, I couldn't help but want to kiss you. You don't mind, do you?"

Helios smiled. "No, not at all." He moved so that he was sitting beside her on the bed. "In fact…"

Leaning over, he caught her lips again in a deeper and more passionate kiss as the two of them fell back on the bed. Serenity let out a soft moan as his mouth traveled down her neck, and she reached for the sash tied around his waist, unknotting it and tossing it aside.

"Wait," Helios said breathlessly, looking down at her as he propped himself back up. "Now?"

"Don't you want to?"

She pushed him back down to the mattress and straddled him, getting the answer to her question when she felt his hardness pressing against her. Helios again blushed.

"Y-Yes, of course, but -"

"Then why wait?" she asked, lowering herself to brush her lips against his. True, it wasn't exactly the ultra-romantic scenario she had planned for their first time, but she was so turned on, she didn't think she would be able to wait any longer to consummate their love.

At that moment, however, a bell chimed in the distance. Underneath her, Helios sighed and partially sat back up. "Because of that," he said. "I'm sorry, Serenity, but could you get off of me? I need to perform my afternoon prayers."

"Oh. Right."

Serenity did as he asked, after which Helios stood back up and retied his sash. Noticing her disappointment, he walked over and chastely kissed her on the cheek.

"There's no need to rush things, my maiden," he said. "We have the entire weekend to spend together. After I finish my prayers, how about I take you for a ride on Pegasus? Then we can have a late picnic lunch by the lake."

"Sure, that sounds nice," Serenity agreed, although she would have much rather spent the entire weekend locked up in the bedroom, exploring every inch of his body.

"Great. I'll meet you at the stables in an hour, then."

"It's a date."

* * *

><p>As promised, once he was done with his afternoon prayers, Helios met up with Serenity at the stables and took her for a romantic ride across Elysion on the back of his favorite winged horse, Pegasus. No matter how many times they rode together, the thrill of flying so high in the air, her arms wrapped securely around Helios' waist, never got old. They ended the tour of the dream world at their usual place, at the lake in the center of the Crystal Forest, where they partook in a delicious lunch prepared by the Maenads.<p>

In no particular hurry to return to the shrine, they lingered lakeside even after finishing their picnic. Helios rested his head in Serenity's lap as she played with his hair, twirling a silvery lock around her finger. "Your hair is longer than it was the last time I visited," she commented, noting that it wound several times around.

"Is it?"

"When was the last time you cut it?"

He considered the question, scratching the tip of his nose. "I honestly don't remember," he admitted with an embarrassed chuckle. "It must have been a few months ago, at least. You don't like it?"

Serenity smiled. "No, I do," she said, once again running her fingers through his hair. "It feels nice."

Reaching for one of her pigtails, Helios gave it a gentle tug. Serenity, picking up on his cue, bent over to kiss him softly on the lips.

"Hmm, that feels even better," he said, sitting back up so he could kiss her again.

His hands moved upwards, removing the pins that held her cone-shaped buns in place. Free from its confines, her long hair flowed down her back and spilled onto the picnic blanket underneath them. Helios dug his fingers into her loose tresses, lightly pulling on the roots as the kiss became more passionate.

Serenity fell back on blanket, pulling Helios down with her. A moan escaped her lips when his mouth left hers, traveling down to her neck. One spot in particular sent pleasant waves through her body, and she lifted her chin up higher, encouraging him to give that spot more attention.

However, Helios chose that moment to pull away, sitting back up. "We should probably stop that before we get too carried away," he said, tugging at his collar. "Is it just me, or is it unusually warm today?"

Serenity nodded in agreement, knowing exactly how he felt. Her skin burned with untapped desire, aching for a cool touch to soothe the flames of passion Helios had unwittingly ignited, She glanced to the side, where she saw Pegasus quenching his thirst at the lake, and got an idea. "I think I know a way we can cool down."

"What do you have in mind?"

She stood up and began unbuttoning her blouse. "Take off your clothes."

"Serenity?"

"Let's go for a swim," she said, stripping off her shirt.

Helios averted his eyes. "But we don't have our swimsuits," he pointed out.

"So?" She unzipped her skirt and started pushing it down her legs. "It's not like there's anybody around to see us, besides Pegasus." When the skirt reached her ankles, she stepped out of it and kicked it aside. Standing in front of Helios, dressed only in her matching bra and panties, Serenity placed her hands on her hips and said, "Come on. Join me. It'll be fun."

After a moment of silent deliberation, Helios rose to his feet as well and began taking off his tunic and pants. Serenity turned her back to him and reached behind her to unhook her bra. As she slipped it off, she glanced over her shoulder and noticed that Helios was staring at her. Smiling, Serenity pulled down her panties, than ran straight into the lake, only turning back around which she was about chest-deep in the water.

"Hurry up, Helios!" she shouted, waving to him. "The water feels amazing."

"I'm coming."

He quickly shed the rest of his clothing and joined Serenity in the lake's inviting waters. Their eyes meeting, the two of them laughed, a mixture of joy and uncertainty. Helios then waded closer toward her, holding her head in between his hands. "May I?" he asked.

Blushing, Serenity nodded, closing her eyes as he brought his lips to hers. The kiss was feather-light at first, but soon gained intensity. Serenity took his hands, which stubbornly insisted on staying above the water, and guided them down to her breasts. His thumbs circled her nipples, which become hard under his touch.

"Serenity," he moaned into her mouth. "I thought we were supposed to be cooling down."

"I'm cool with this," she said, smirking a little at her pun. "Aren't you enjoying it?"

A faint blush crossed his cheeks. "Well…yes…but…"

"Then it's okay, right?"

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him again, enjoying the feel of his wet skin against hers, but after a few moments, Helios broke out of her embrace and gently pushed her away.

"Helios, what's the matter?" Serenity asked, confused and hurt by his apparent rejection of her. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No, of course not." He glanced away, avoiding meeting her gaze. "It's just… I think we should stop for now."

Serenity resisted the urge to growl in frustration. She was starting to grow tired of him saying that. "Why?" she asked instead, trying not to come across as too upset. "I don't mind."

"But I do. I have to protect you, Serenity."

"What are you talking about? I don't need - Oh!" She finally realized what he was referring to. "You don't have any?"

"Not with me right now. I didn't exactly expect us to be skinny-dipping in the forest, after all…"

Serenity sighed. She hadn't thought to bring any protection either, a regretful oversight on her part.

It looked like they would again have to wait.

* * *

><p>The rest of the evening was filled with torturous anticipation of what was to come later that night. Even during dinner with the Maenads, Serenity thought of little else, barely managing to string two coherent sentences together. It certainly hadn't helped matters that Helios was sitting right next to her at the table and kept placing his hand on her knee, obviously as anxious as she was to resume where they had left off at the lake.<p>

"Quit it," she said under her breath, pushing his hand away while Eos and Aurora were in the kitchen, preparing to bring out dessert. "I can't think straight when you keep doing that."

"Oh, sorry." He set his hand on the table where she could see it and began fiddling with his fork. "I just can't seem to control myself."

She sighed. "I know the feeling," she admitted. It was taking almost all her willpower to keep from swiping everything off the table and taking him right then and there. "Oh, I wish we could just skip dessert…"

Or go right to it, looking at it from a different angle.

He arched an eyebrow. "You'd really be willing to pass up on your favorite strawberry shortcake?" he teased, well-aware of her infamous sweet tooth.

Serenity leaned over, resting her hand on his thigh. "I'd much rather cover you with whipped cream, then -"

"We apologize for the wait," Aurora said as she and Eos returned with the dessert plates, cutting short Serenity's rather salacious comment.

Blushing, Serenity abruptly straightened her posture and reminded herself that she was supposed to be a princess. Beside her, Helios was equally as flustered, almost knocking over a glass of water.

"Were we interrupting something?" Eos asked, noticing their reaction.

"N-No, nothing at all," Serenity lied as Eos set one of the plates down in front of her. "This looks absolutely delicious, Eos-chan. I love strawberry shortcake."

"Helios-sama mentioned it was one of your favorites."

"It is. Thank you."

But to be honest, as with dinner, she barely tasted the dessert, eating the cake as fast as she could without choking. Aurora, Eos, and even Helios stared at her in amazement when she cleared off her plate in record time.

"Um, would you like another piece, Your Highness?" Aurora asked. "We made enough for seconds."

Serenity waved her hands in front of her. "Oh, no, I couldn't possibly eat another bite," she said, faking a small yawn. "Actually, I'm feeling a bit tired."

"Are you not feeling well? Would you like some medicine?"

"No, no, I'm fine." She stood up. "If you all will excuse me, though, I think I would like to go to my room, take a bath, and go to bed."

"Of course, Your Highness. Good night."

"Yes, good night, my maiden," Helios said, standing up as well. He chastely kissed her on the cheek. "Sweet dreams." In a softer voice, he added, "I'll join you in your room later."

Serenity nodded her understanding, her cheeks faintly hot, then left the dining room with as much dignity and composure as she could manage under the circumstances. Once she far enough away that she was out of earshot of the others, though, she let out a little squeal and raced the rest of the way to her bedroom.

She assumed it would be about an hour before Helios could come to her room, as he would need to perform his evening prayers after eating. That gave her enough time to prepare herself and set the mood.

A private bathroom was connected to the bedroom, equipped with an old-fashioned, Western-style claw-footed tub. Serenity filled the tub with warm water and added a small cup of her favorite lavender-scented bath salts. After pinning up her hair and taking off her clothes, she stepped into the bath and let out a contented moan as she submerged her body in the scented water, only her head remaining above.

When she finished the bath, Serenity got out of the tub, wrapped a towel around her body, and returned to the bedroom, where she pulled the pink chemise out of the dresser and laid it out on the bed. Rather than immediately getting dressed, however, she walked over to the full-length mirror standing in the corner of the room and let her towel fall down to the ground.

Staring at her nude reflection in the mirror, Serenity inspected her body with a critical eye, wondering if Helios would like what he saw. True, they had skinny-dipped together earlier at the lake, but neither of them had seen much of each other's bodies beyond brief flashes of bare skin. She frowned as she pinched the small amount of flab around her mid-section, wishing she had gone on a diet beforehand. Not only had she inherited her mother's infamous appetite, but it looked like Serenity had been cursed with the queen's tendency to pack a little extra weight.

She shook her head. "No, Helios won't care about a few extra pounds," she declared, refusing to psych herself out. "He loves me just the way I am."

Besides, the rest of her body was nothing to be ashamed off. Though she wasn't very tall - another trait she had inherited from her mother, unfortunately - her legs were long and shapely, deemed her best physical asset by her friends. The extra weight also gave her a little more padding on her backside, which Serenity considered a nice bonus. Her breasts were just about the right size - not too big, not too small - with pert, pink nipples.

Satisfied, she got dressed and sat down at the vanity to style her long hair. Despite the fact that her hair was one of Helios' favorite features, she had a feeling it would only be a nuisance when they were in the throes of passion, so she pulled it back into a French braid. A little bit of cherry-flavored lip gloss and a spritz of floral perfume in certain strategic places completed her preparations.

Serenity glanced over at the clock. It was almost time for Helios to join her. She lit some candles, placing them all around the room, and for a final touch, she snatched a rose from the bouquet on the dresser and tore off its petals, scattering them over the bedspread. She then turned off the lights and took her place on the bed, arranging herself in what she hoped was a sexy pose.

However, Helios did not appear when she expected. After about fifteen minutes of waiting, Serenity rolled over on her back and sighed as she stared up at the canopy above her. "What is taking him so long?" she muttered, growing more impatient with every passing second. "Did I misunderstand him? Maybe he told me to meet him in his bedroom instead."

She replayed their parting in her mind and shook her head. No, he definitely said he would come to her. Besides, she wasn't even sure which room was his. It would be awkward if she snuck into one of the Maenads' rooms by mistake.

Serenity reached for one of the pillows and hugged it to her chest. Maybe he was having second thoughts. She was certainly ready to go all the way - more than ready - but maybe Helios wasn't. The thought made her feel a little lonely, but she didn't want to force him into something he wasn't comfortable doing.

Just when she was about to blow out the candles and go to bed, there was a soft knock on the door. Her heart pounding, Serenity sat back up and tossed the pillow aside. She took a moment to calm herself before walking over the door to answer it.

"Helios!" Unable to contain herself, she launched herself at him, kissing him. "You came."

"Of course I came," he said, breaking away. "Perhaps we should wait to do this until we're inside the room.

Serenity let out a nervous giggle. "Oh, right."

She showed him inside, then closed and locked the door behind them. Upon turning back around, she noticed that Helios had taken off his robe, leaving him dressed only in a pair of pajama pants. The sight of his lightly-toned torso momentarily distracted her.

"You're late," she said, getting back in focus. She meant it only as an innocent observation, but it came out sounding more like an accusation. "I was beginning to think you had changed your mind."

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I wanted to be certain Eos and Aurora were asleep before I snuck over here."

"Are they?"

"I think so."

"Good." That meant no more distractions. She walked over and wrapped her arms around Helios' neck. "Now I can have you all to myself."

Looking down at her, he smiled. "What exactly did you have in mind?"

"Hmm, a little bit of this…" She kissed him on the lips. "A little bit of that…" Moving downwards, Serenity flicked her tongue over his left nipple. "And a whole lot of…" She slid her hand down even lower, and after a second of hesitation, rubbed him through the fabric of his pants.

"I think I like that plan. But first…" Helios stepped back, admiring her in the candlelight. "You look beautiful."

Suddenly feeling bashful, Serenity began playing with her braid. "It's not too…modest? I thought about wearing something a little sexier, but…"

"You're sexy no matter what you wear."

"Helios…" She took him by the hands and began walking backwards, leading him toward the bed. "I love you."

"I love you, too, my maiden."

* * *

><p>Serenity awoke the next morning to the sight of Helios still sleeping soundly beside her. Propping herself up on her elbow, she stared down at him and traced her finger along the outline of his jaw. Last night already felt like some kind of wonderful dream, but he was unmistakably real, proof that her dream had indeed come true.<p>

She ran her hand down his chest, only hesitating for a moment before slipping it underneath the sheets. Helios' golden eyes fluttered open a few moments later, and he let out a small gasp.

"Good morning," Serenity said in a light sing-song voice.

Helios, once he got over his shock, laughed. "Yes, very good morning, my maiden," he said, rolling over on his side so that he was facing her. "Although I suppose I should stop calling you that."

"Why? I like it when you call me your maiden."

"Well, after last night…"

Serenity's cheeks warmed. True, she wasn't a maiden anymore.

"Do you regret it?" Helios asked, brushing back a strand of hair that had escaped from her braid.

"Not at all." She didn't even have to think about it before answering. "It was everything I ever imagined it would be." Serenity shook her head. "No, even better. It was definitely worth the wait."

"I'm glad." He leaned forward, preparing to kiss her, but stopped halfway. "What time is it?"

She looked over at the clock. "Almost seven," she replied, frowning as she let out a sigh. "You need to go back to your room, don't you? If Aurora-chan and Eos-chan find you here -"

"No, no more sneaking around. They'll just have to accept the situation. It was silly of me to even try to hide it."

"Then you can stay?"

"At least until it's time for morning prayers, milady."

Smiling, Serenity pushed him back down to the mattress and climbed on top of him, intending to make the most of their time until then.

Milady? She liked the sound of that.

DISCLAIMER: _Sailor Moon _is the property of Takeuchi Naoko.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: This story was written as a reward for my friend Saya (criminalqueen), in honor of her perfect participation record during Battle VII at the sailormoonland community over at Livejournal.


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